


Touching

by EllieStormfound



Category: The Witcher (TV), Wiedźmin | The Witcher (Video Game), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types, Wiedźmin | The Witcher Series - Andrzej Sapkowski
Genre: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia Has Feelings, M/M, Nonverbal Communication, Nonverbal Geralt, Soft Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Soft Jaskier | Dandelion, can be read as friends or romantic relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-18 04:54:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28861377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EllieStormfound/pseuds/EllieStormfound
Summary: In which Geralt finds it hard to talk after a fight and Jaskier is soft with him
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia & Jaskier | Dandelion
Comments: 32
Kudos: 120





	Touching

**Author's Note:**

> CW: brief mention of canon-typical violence, but not in detail

“Geralt, are you okay?” Jaskier asked as he sprung up from where he had been sitting in front of their camp fire when Geralt walked back to the clearing. He had just dispatched a nest of nekkers. Not a bad fight, but it had taken hours to track them down, kill every one of these little fuckers and blow up their nest. And now he was exhausted.

The nest had been in a cave and he had taken cat to see better in the darkness. Even though the potion had mostly worn off and it was the dead of night, the light from the full moon stung too bright in his eyes. The adrenaline still rushing through his body made his skin prickle and the sound of his own footsteps was too loud in his ears.

* * *

When Geralt didn’t answer, Jaskier knew what kind of night this was.

Sometimes when Geralt came back after a fight, still full of adrenaline and potions, it was hard for him to talk. It wasn’t impossible, he could force himself to do it, but it took a lot of energy and he was always glad when he did not have to.

And he was glad that Jaskier understood. They had talked about it after one of his first hunts after they started travelling together because the bard got worried when Geralt had been even more taciturn than usual.

* * *

Geralt sat down next to Jaskier and unstrapped his swords. A moment later he exhaled and slumped his shoulders forward. Slowly and carefully Jaskier leaned his shoulder against Geralt’s, testing out if he wanted the physical closeness tonight.

Jaskier had learned that in these moments it was easier for Geralt to touch.

Not that the witcher often had the opportunity for it. On the path he did not have many friends he trusted like that and in the winters at Kaer Morhen monsters and real fights were thankfully rare these days so these particular situations rarely arose.

But the bard had wormed his way through Geralt’s defences with his open nature, soft touches and not the slightest whiff of fear about him. Learning to trust Jaskier had been a slow and rocky process, but with his unwavering patience they had found something that worked for both of them.

* * *

Geralt sighed and leaned into him. Jaskier smiled at that and hummed. They sat like that for a while, shoulder to shoulder, staring into the fire.

A few moments later Jaskier got up, moved in front of Geralt and knelt down, looking up into the golden eyes of his friend. There was no smile on the witcher’s face but Jaskier saw his expression soften. Slowly Geralt closed his eyes and leaned his head forward, till their foreheads rested against each other.  
Jaskier had closed his eyes as well and enjoyed their closeness. He listened to Geralt’s slow and rhythmic breathing and the crackle of the fire behind him. He was thankful that Geralt felt so comfortable with him by now.

The bard laid his hand into Geralt’s bigger one, giving him another point of contact, something to hold onto and feel. Geralt looked at him, opened his mouth and breathed in as if he wanted to say something, but no words came out. He drew his eyebrows together in a frown and opened his mouth once more, but only an annoyed huff came out.

Jaskier squeezed his hand and said quietly, “no need to say anything, I’m here.”

Even on the best of days words to describe his feelings and needs did not come easy to him. And today they were a jumble in his head. He could have picked out a few like ‘friend’, ‘I need’ or ‘thank you’, but it was easier for him to touch and be touched, to feel.

So he leaned back and squeezed Jaskier’s hand softly in return. Then he lifted it to his lips - not to kiss, but to feel it with the sensitive skin there and let the four knuckles of Jaskier’s fingers glide against his lips.

Jaskier’s hand smelled of Roach and the leather of her saddle, a trace of smoke when he must have lit the fire and the faint scent of the walnut oil he used for the strings of his lute. This mix of odours was warm and strangely calming.

He turned and opened Jaskier’s hand and pressed the palm to his lips. He could feel the calluses from his lute playing but also from their life on the path - collecting and chopping wood, carrying heavy bags and even from holding the dagger Geralt had given him and made him practise with. The bard’s palm was warm and the scent of it stronger there.

Jaskier let his hand wander to the side of Geralt’s face and stroked his cheekbone with his thumb.  
“Let me help you out of your armor,” he said softly. Geralt nodded but stayed motionless.

So Jaskier unstrapped the three buckles of his breastplate and slowly guided it down his arms. After that he unstrapped the kneepads so Geralt was just in his normal clothes. Jaskier could see more and more of the tension seeping out of him.

He placed his hands on the witcher’s knees, and looked at him with a question in his gaze. They locked eyes for a moment before Geralt nodded slightly. Jaskier sat up on his knees and leaned forward. Slowly, to give Geralt the time to adjust, he wrapped his arms around his shoulders, drawing him into a hug.

Geralt sighed and let his head drop onto Jaskier’s shoulder. Then he put his arms around his middle and drew him closer. It was nice to feel the bard. After a day of fighting, death and exhaustion it was immensely calming to hold his friend, this human who was so full of energy and joy that he so willingly shared. Geralt buried his face in Jaskier’s neck and sighed.

A while later Jaskier drew back and searched Geralt’s face once more. When the witcher looked back, he asked, “okay?”

Geralt nodded and Jaskier stood up. He walked over to their saddlebags and got out a wooden cup that he filled with hot tea, that had been brewing over the fire.  
“Drink this and I will make us dinner,” he said as he handed the cup to Geralt.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!  
> Find me on tumblr [EllieStormfound](https://elliestormfound.tumblr.com/)


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